Royal Farms adds Real Green to Real Fresh, Real Fast
For months now, a large sign at the prominent corner of Route 24 and Route 1 between Lewes and Rehoboth Beach has declared that a Royal Farms store was coming soon. According to Brittany Eldredge at Royal Farms headquarters in Baltimore, the project will finally go out to bid May 27. She said construction is expected to start on or around July 1. After six to eight months of work, the new building should be ready for customers in early 2017.
There have been lots of permitting issues to resolve, she said. “It just took time. But now we’re ready to go.”
Permits for such construction include a county building permit, a permit from the State Fire Marshal’s Office, and underground storage tank installation approval from the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. DNREC public relations officer Michael Globetti said the state also has to issue permits for Stage I and Stage II vapor recovery having to do with the gasoline and diesel pumps.
The new store will be built on the site of the former Exxon station at that corner and on the next-door property that was formerly the home of Millman’s Appliances. It will bring the total count of Royal Farms stores in the Maryland, Delaware and surrounding area to 170.
For the past five to seven years, said Eldredge, all of the stores have been built to receive LEED certification. She said the new Rehoboth Beach store will also be built to those standards. The U.S. Green Building Council established the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program to encourage and recognize environmentally progressive and sustainable construction. According to the Green Building Council’s website: “LEED-certified buildings are resource efficient. They use less water and energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As an added bonus, they save money.”
Royal Farms, said Eldredge, also recycles its cooking oils and manages its operations to reduce water usage.
Royal Farms recently received a grant from the state of Delaware to install electric car charging stations at some of its stores. But, Eldredge said, the Rehoboth Beach store won’t be among those. She also said Royal Farms is evaluating solar energy at its stores for cost effectiveness. The new Royal Farms store will be keeping company on Route 1 with two Wawa stores already up and running and a third nearing completion in the new Rehoboth Beach Gateway shopping center near Jungle Jim’s.
